know your enemy palestinian reporters tackle hebrew
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Learning to read Israeli newspapers

'Know your enemy', Palestinian reporters tackle Hebrew

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice 'Know your enemy', Palestinian reporters tackle Hebrew

A Palestinian student looks at a notepad during a Hebrew language course
Ramallah - Arab Today

"As the saying goes: Know the language of your enemy," says Dalal Said, a Palestinian television reporter who is learning Hebrew in a bid to better cover the conflict.
She is one of about 30 journalists taking two hours of Hebrew classes a week at a college in the West Bank city of Ramallah with an emphasis on learning to read Israeli newspapers.
"We live under occupation so it is crucial that we know what the press says to be able to get the bigger picture," says fellow student Imad Freikh, who works for a weekly magazine.
For Arabic speakers, learning Hebrew can be surprisingly easy because both are Semitic languages and often have similar three-letter roots for a word.
Although Arabic script is cursive and Hebrew is written in block letters, both are constructed predominantly of consonants with some or all of the vowels omitted.
During the six-week course at Nasser al-Shiukhi college, the teacher -- a Palestinian from Jerusalem who has a degree in Hebrew -- tries to add some context to his lessons.
While teaching the colours, he tells his students that the word for black is "shakhor", making sure to add that some Israelis refer to black people as "cushim" - a derogatory term which he says demonstrates a tendency toward racism.
- Talking to soldiers -
For Ali Obeidat, a journalist who helped organise the course, knowing Hebrew is crucial to access information not always readily available in Arabic.
"In some cases, there is no Palestinian source for certain information so the Israeli press is the main source for covering the conflict," he told AFP.
This is often the case when it comes to the number of people injured in a clash with the army or Jewish settlers where Israeli medics are often first on the scene and the only ones with accurate information.
Very few Palestinian journalists have official accreditation to cover events in Israel, giving them little access to direct quotes from Israeli officials, so they often pick up such remarks from the Israeli or international press.
Knowing Hebrew is also crucial to be able to communicate with Israeli soldiers, whose presence is ubiquitous across more than 60 percent of the occupied West Bank.
Speaking the language is particularly important for Palestinian journalists working in the field, especially when they are in a dangerous situation, says Nasser al-Shiuki, head of the college which runs the course and has already trained around 200 journalists.
"It is vital for Palestinian journalists, above all for photographers and cameramen who cover clashes all the time and are in direct contact with the Israeli army," he says.
"If you understand the language of your enemy, you know how to interact with him."
- Widespread exposure -
Many Palestinians already speak some Hebrew because until the start of the second uprising, or intifada (2000-2005), roughly 150,000 of them had jobs working inside Israel.
When the violence erupted, Israel cancelled their work permits.
Countless thousands of others have also learned some Hebrew through years spent inside Israeli prisons where it was the only language with which they could communicate with their jailers.
In annexed east Jerusalem, which is home to 310,000 Palestinians, most speak Hebrew by necessity although their grasp of the language is far from that of Israel's Arab citizens, who make up around a fifth of the population.
Living, working and studying in the Jewish state, they have a far greater level of fluency in Hebrew, giving them greater access to an array of jobs, including the legal profession where they often represent their Palestinian brethren in both civilian and military courts.
Most Israelis meanwhile learn some Arabic at school because it is one of the country's official languages.
For Said, knowing Hebrew should be compulsory for all Palestinians.
"They should teach it in schools because for the Palestinians, speaking Hebrew is more important than speaking English," she said.
Source: AFP

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

know your enemy palestinian reporters tackle hebrew know your enemy palestinian reporters tackle hebrew

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

know your enemy palestinian reporters tackle hebrew know your enemy palestinian reporters tackle hebrew

 



GMT 11:30 2012 Monday ,09 January

Mutah University workers demand pay raise

GMT 16:28 2011 Thursday ,29 December

Scottish universities ordered to widen access

GMT 13:14 2013 Tuesday ,19 March

Qatar’s al-Jazeera to launch UK, French channels

GMT 13:24 2014 Monday ,01 September

Pakistan anti-PM protesters storm state TV

GMT 08:54 2017 Friday ,28 July

Major terrorist plot foiled in Saudi Arabia

GMT 09:23 2017 Monday ,17 July

Tropical Storm,leaves one dead

GMT 13:02 2017 Thursday ,27 July

Iraqi army prepares for a new operation in Diyala

GMT 09:14 2012 Thursday ,16 August

Modern \'Reading Furniture\' range

GMT 05:37 2018 Monday ,08 January

Explosion at Syria jihadist base kills 23: monitor

GMT 23:00 2011 Monday ,19 December

Alessandra Ambrosio Tweets Behind The Scenes Photo

GMT 09:10 2017 Wednesday ,29 November

UN chief strongly condemns N. Korea missile launch

GMT 17:57 2016 Monday ,15 August

‘Godless’ scoops top prize at Swiss film fest

GMT 15:07 2016 Monday ,12 September

Denzel’s role in new movie makes him a kid again

GMT 11:32 2012 Thursday ,20 December

Funny film breaks box office boundaries

GMT 12:10 2011 Sunday ,19 June

Ukraine\'s Naftogaz estimates gas pipe network
 
 Emirates Voice Facebook,emirates voice facebook  Emirates Voice Twitter,emirates voice twitter Emirates Voice Rss,emirates voice rss  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

emiratesvoieen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen
emiratesvoice emiratesvoice emiratesvoice
emiratesvoice
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice